Yucaipa family pushes for pedestrian safety after loved one killed in New Year's Day crash

A Yucaipa family is pushing for pedestrian safety in their community after their loved one was killed on New Year's Day while crossing the street outside of his home. 

Ryan Riddles was fatally struck at around 7 p.m. on Jan. 1 while he tried to cross Bryant Street, a busy thoroughfare right outside of his home, according to his family. 

"I don't know how I'm able to just continue right now," said Riddles' mother, Kathy Ramos. 

They've started a memorial near the spot where he was hit, evident to everyone who drives down the road, as they said they knew it was dangerous, with some drivers using the road like a freeway.

"My nephew would watch me ... when I would come to visit him, he would say, 'Aunt Tot, let me stand here, because these cars come so fast," said Tatiyana Vollhardt, Riddle's aunt. 

They're calling for more pedestrian safety in Yucaipa after his death. It was the second time that Riddles was struck by a car in his lifetime, after he survived an incident at 12 years old that resulted in numerous surgeries. 

"We're not a small town anymore. We still have those small-town beliefs, but we have developed so much that we need to do something different," Vollhardt said.

From 2017 to 2023, 71 pedestrians were hit and killed or injured in crashes, according to data from the California Office of Traffic Safety. Riddles' family says that incidents like this are more common than they should be, so they're taking their safety concerns to the Yucaipa City Council in hopes that they can spark change and honor his memory. 

"I don't want anybody to have to grieve the way I'm like now," Ramos said. "To see something tragic like this, something needs to be done."

As they work to turn their grief into action, Riddles family is remembering him as a friend to everyone who was always happy. 

The driver that struck Riddles has not been charged with any crimes for the crash, which happened as Riddles tried to cross the road in an area that wasn't marked with a crosswalk.